Tire-chain lock



Nov. 25, y1930. B. E. LANG TIRE CHAIN LUCK med April 12, 1930 nvcnlor l erz E. Lang 'By MLM .,z.

f A Allor hey l a A f v V provide a lock comprising a casing having Patented Nov. 25, A1930 l TIREQHAIN Loox' Y Application filed April 12,

My invention relates to tire chain locks and certain objects of the'inventlon are to albody member pivotally connected thereto and adaptedto fold therein and? with means whereby said body is held in the closed posi.- tion. `Further objects are to provide means whereby both thecasing and body members are adapted to bear the strains of the cl1`ain. 10'

Other objects are to provide means whereby `the body may be opened or unlocked from 1 its closed position, means for initially retaining the loose end of the tire chain prepara-o tory toits adjustmenton a tire, and other novel details of construction and arrangement. j v l I With the above and other objects inview which will appear as the description ,proceeds, the invention consists of the novel con-4 struction, adaptatiomcombination and ar# rangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed. These objects are accomplished by devices illustra-ted in the drawings; wherein Figure l is a view lin perspective showing the lock in its closed position; j

Fig. 2 is a View in perspective showing the lock in its open position; f j

Fig. 3 is a view in transverse vertical-secaccompanying tion taken substantially on a broken line 3,

3 of Fig. 1; 1 i j j .l Fig. 4 is a View in side elevation of the lock in the closed 4positionwith one side of the casing broken away; and Y Y Fig.` 5 is a top plan view of the casing or Shelly, j;

Referring to the drawings throughout which like reference numerals indicate like parts, the numeral 5 designates the casing or shell member as a'whole of the lock, and

l the numeral 6 indicatesthe b 'ody'member of,

the lock that is pivoted at 7 to fold into said casing or shell member as shown in Figs.` l,

`3 and 4 of the drawings.

` Therbodyrmember '6 is provided on its inner face withv a iirstshoulder8 and a second shoulder 9, ,while its pivoted inner end portion s formedv into a hook 10.*` In the application of the device va link 11 ordinarily disposed on the loose end of a tire chain is caught Vover the lirst shouldersaiid retained thereby until the chain is adjusted in position on "the tire `which adjustment willordinarily cause f suiiiicent` slack in the `chain `whereby said' end linkmay' be shifted to the second shouldenas shown in dotted linesin Fig. 2,thus vplacing thedevicein readinesstobelocked j. l "Thebody: member 6 v'maybe mre readily swung to the llocled 1er,elosedfpsitiof by i grasping its outer `e1`id"pn:tion `12f`with`a pair of pliers, as shown ,in dotted lines in Fig.l

2, whereby the leverageorjpurchasei on saidVv body member is "increase-d.` AL shoulderl maybe provided on the outer` face of lsaid outer end portion'to preventthe pliers from slipping and provide means for securely grip-` ping 'saidfnd ,vWhehNthe vbody member is 8 will' fit over afpin" or bolt` 14 thatfholds 'the Vrear end `portion'of the casing 5` together as most `clearly showninFigi` j V 1 EIhe[casingrniember 5 is providedjon its forward end fwithjhooked jawsfll between. which the body `hook'portion 10j is 'pivotedi i Said body hook and, hooked jaws cooperaf tively form an opening 16 intheir closedp'osig` j tion andthe link ll slips from `the shoulder 9 into saidopening whereby the strains on said, linkt are distributed.both` on fthe casing and body 6V thus vvproviding` astrong bearing forthe ltire chain at this' point. Alink" 17', ordinarily on the other end of the tire chain, is connected tothe exterior endsof the pin shoulder `8,1"ittin,`qf oversaid pin also provides .swung to the closedposition the first shoulder i a reenfercedfconnection'for the tire chain whereby the strains are carried b ybotlrtheV n casing and body.` .j l j .j `V Referring particularly to Fig."5, the two opposing jaws of the casing 5` as designated v bythe numeral 18 are defiected or bentover j to providetlanges 19`whose edges Vconverge rearwardly. Said casing may be made of `resilient metal such as `spring steel or the likeand the inner face of the body member 6 is beveled or convergently reduced as shown at 20 in Fig. 3. Thus whensaid body member is swung to the closed position ,its beveled edge portion will slice between said iianges causing the opposing jaws to spread fill apart sufficiently to permit said body member to pass between said anges to the closed or locked position. In the closed position said ianges are contracted over the outer face or edge of said body member thus holding said member securely in the locked position.

In order to unlock or open the device I have provided a slot 2l in the'side of one of the casing jaws 18 extending below the lower edge of the body 6 in its locked position. As

shown in Fig. l, a screw driver or other flat or pointed instrument may be inserted in the slot under said body member and turned or twisted to pry the body member free of the flanges 19 whereby the device may be opened as will be understood.

It will now be apparent that I have provided a simple, durable, economical and efficient tire chain lock.

Having thus described my invention, it being understood that minor changes may be resorted to in its construction and arrangement without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is A tire chain lock having in combination a casing, hooked jaws for one end of the casing, a body member, a hooked formed on one end portion of said body, said body hook pivoted between said hooked casing jaws whereby the body is adapted to fold into the casing, said body hook and casing hooked jaws arranged to cooperatively form an opening in the folded position adapted to serve as a bearing for one end link of a tire chain, a pin through the other end of the casing adapted to form a connection for the other end link of the chain, a plurality of shoulders for the body member adapted to initially retain the first mentioned tire chain link, one of said shoulders arranged to lit over the pin when the body is in the closed position, opposing flanges :tor the casing adapted to hold the body in the locked position, said body having beveled. edges whereby it may pry the flanges apart when being` swung to the locked position, a shoulder on the outer end portion of the body member whereby said member may be securely grasped when closing same, and said casing having an opening therethrough whereby the body member may be pried loose from its locked position.

In testimony whereof I afX my signature.

BERT E. LANG. 

